History of Running Shoes

Keds Canvas-Top Sneakers

Jan 1, 1917

Keds produced canvas-top “sneakers" as a large scale product. The word “sneaker” was invented by Henry Nelson Mckinney because the rubber sole lets people sneak around quietly.

Converse All Star

Jan 1, 1918

Chuck Taylor joined the Converse Rubber Company and the Converse All Star was produced. His love of basketball lead him to spread the word of the new game and sell the shoes that he created.

Dassler Brothers Show Factory

Jan 1, 1924

Brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler form the Dassler Brothers Show Factory in Bavaria, Germany. The company eventually splits into two companys, which lead to the development of Puma and Adidas.

Vibram

Jan 1, 1936

Vitale Bramani returned from a tragic alphine climb and was inspired to create the first vulcanized rubber shoe soles. Vibram (a combination of the inventor’s first and last names) transformed the sport of mountain climbing.

Adidas and Puma

Jan 1, 1948

The Adidas Company was founded by Adolf Dassler in Bavaria. His brother Rudolf formed his own company, Puma.

Fastest Barefoot Marathon Run

Jan 1, 1960

The fastest marathon run was in barefoot in 2 hours 15 minutes 16.2 seconds by Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia) at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

Rubber Spikes

Jan 1, 1970

Nike’s Bill Bauerman experimented with rubber spikes by pouring a rubber compound into his wife’s waffle iron, creating a sole that forever changed the design of running shoes. Now in 2015, spikes are made from rubber as well as metal.

Nake Air Jordan Legacy

Jan 1, 1984

The Nike Air Jordan legacy was born. Nike signed Michael Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other fringe benefits.

Stealth Rubber

Jan 1, 1986

Charles Cole develops Stealth rubber to improve climbing on steep rock faces. The climbing shoe has changed forever into a more developed and supported shoe for the foot.

Reebok Pump Shoe

Jan 1, 1989

Reebok designed the Pump, a basketball shoe featuring an innovative pump on the heel that sends a cushion of air around the contours of the foot, and a release mechanism to get the fit just right. These shoes have a similar appearance to the Michael Jordan Shoe for 1984.

Heelys Roller Shoe

Jan 1, 1998

Roger Adams makes the prototype of Heelys Roller Shoes, a pair of Nike running shoes with heels cut out, a rod through the heel, and wheeled bearings from a skateboards. Kids are seen “heeling around” as a new form of transport.

Vibram FiveFingers

Jan 1, 2006

Vibram FiveFingers are created as a performance product for running, fitness and outdoor sports and started a trend in the athletic footwear world. Coincidentally, these shoes show some resemblance to the feet of our Australopithecus ancestor, “Lucy.”